A Profile of Conditions and Trends in Rural Illinois. Second Printing.

Gruidl, John; Walzer, Norman

Rapid economic and population growth characterized the 1970s in much of rural America. Unfortunately, this "Rural Renaissance" was short-lived. Although some rural areas grew or remained stable during the 1980s, many others experienced stagnation and decline, evidenced by a variety of indicators. This document consists of graphic maps and statistical charts profiling and comparing socioeconomic conditions in Illinois. The data collected by federal and state agencies are broken down by county, identified by the standard of the Office of Management and Budget as "metropolitan,""non-metropolitan adjacent," or "remote." Profile data pertains to population, income, employment, economic base, human and financial resources, local government finance, and public health and safety (crime). Like the rest of the nation, Illinois experienced a widening gap between rural and metropolitan economic conditions. Poverty, measured in assistance recipients, was higher in remote counties. Rural counties suffered from out-migration. Per-capita income grew more rapidly in remote counties than adjacent counties, partly due to retirement income. Short-term employment became more favorable in rural areas, but long-term employment growth was far below that of metro counties. Non-metro counties increasingly depended on manufacturing, compared to natural resources (farming or mining). While higher levels of technology created a demand for better-educated workers, rural areas showed lagging educational levels. (TES)